Abdo Feghali vs Mohammed Al Attar | Red Bull Failaka Showdown!

Abdo Feghali vs Mohammed al Attar

Our Lebanese drifter and rally icon, the one and only Abdo Feghali aka Dado has been featured in the brand new RedBull Failaka Showdown video doing what he does best! This time his drifting action has been filmed and directed by professionals as he races against the free runner Mohammed Al Attar in the Kuwaiti island of Failaka. The video of the Two Red Bull Athletes going head-to-head is perfectly directed, filmed and executed. Believe me, no random videos go on the RedBull Youtube channel with its 3,791,030 subscribers! But the main question remains: Will the trainers outrun the tires?

The Epic Driftmob | BMW M235i

M235i Drift mobYou adrenaline junkies are gonna love this! Five cherry red M235i coupes performing a choreographed high-speed drifting sequence on a closed traffic rotary in Capetown! What more to ask! First question that comes to mind: “Is that a fake, montage, Hollywood style type of commercial?” The answer is no, that roundabout was actually closed for a period of almost 3 days in order for the director and crew to capture the shots. In the cars are actual precision, professional drifting champions like Rhys Millen and Samuel Hübinette. The cars available were only these five M235i. There were no replacement cars “just in case” so the drivers had to be very careful. Oh and almost 33,000$ worth of tires was spend in the making. The commercial is just brilliant, perfectly targeting a typical M235i buyer that would be looking for a classy, sporty, German and fun coupe. You can check the behind the scenes video taken by Drive by clicking right here.

BMW-M235i_Coupe_2014_interiorNow, about the M235i. It is the new born of BMW hiding under the hood a turbocharged N55 inline-six, making 320 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque burning the 0-100km/h in just 4.8 sec. A quick-shifting eight-speed automatic (not dual-clutch) with wheel-mounted paddles and a launch-control program is standard. Being a beamer, the power is sent directly to the back wheels. With that, the car manages a 52:48 weight distribution. The interior is regular, typical BMW with a nice big display screen in the middle. The steering wheel has been beautifully designed. So glad that the hand brake is still here and hasn’t been replaced by those hideous parking buttons that are invading most modern cars. All in all, that M235i must really be a joy to drive and drift. I loved the inside and outside design even though I have some problems with the back and those two small exhaust tips. If you are looking forward to getting one, go crazy go for a red or a blue! It is a fun car after all!

Smart Electric Drive Drag Race

BoxterS vs SmartOne of the best city cars is proving its power once again by drag racing against some Fords, Audis and Porsches! You would be surprise but that Electric Smart was able to beat them all. The advertisement is clever considering it’s hard to find any open roads in today’s congested city streets. The Smart Fortwo takes on a big advantage in the first five metres, thanks to all of its torque being available immediately upon acceleration. I personally really like that machine. It is more solid that most production cars, can fit in unbelievably small parking spots, you can get it with the roof off and it is rear wheel drive! Really the best combo for a city car.

Lamborghini Huracan Official Video

Lamborghini-Huracan_LP610-4_2015 FrontA typical apocalyptic commercial for the official launch of the Huracan. You might think that Lamborghini has dropped the tradition of naming its car models after reputed bulls but you would be wrong. According to Lamborghini, Huracán was a bull that fought in Alicante in 1879. With its triple meaning of storm, Mayan god, and raging bull, this might be the coolest car name ever.

Lamborghini-Huracan_LP610-4_2015 InteriorConsidered the entry-level Lamborghini, what the California is to Ferrari, it is the replacement of the company’s best-selling model ever, the Gallardo. A worth successor? Powered by a 5.2-liter direct-injected V10 delivering 610 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque that bull would fly the 0-100 km/h in 3.2 seconds (0.2 faster than the 458). The chassis, the result of the combined work of Audi and Lambo weighs 10 per cent less than the Gallardo, but is 50 per cent stiffer thanks to the use of carbon fiber and aluminum. Transmitting the immense power to the new freshly engineered all wheel drive system is a 7 speed dual clutch gear box. A clever feature allows you to hold the left hand paddle as you’re braking hard, entering a corner, automatically the lowest gear possible will be selected in order to provide you with maximum acceleration out of it. All those elements can react differently to the click of a button, the ANIMA (translates as ‘soul’ in Italian) on the bottom of the steering wheel which is much like Ferrari’s Manettino dial.

Lamborghini-Huracan_LP610-4_2015 BackBeing a mix of Aventador and Gallardo, that beast look angry! And it sounds very angry too, judging by that apocalyptic launching ad which reminds me of the Aventador launching commercial released a couple of years ago. The world is coming to an end, the earth’s 5 elements are going crazy and your Lambo is your only key of survival! So, a worth successor? I would say definitely yes even though I think a couple of more ponies could have fitted under the hood. When Ferrari is extracting 570hp out of its V8, 610hp is a bit short for a V10. Yep I would still get a 458 over that massive bull. Oh oh and I forgot to mention, there is a Huracan coming to Lebanon in a couple of month and I met its owner 😉 So stay tuned to TheAdsGarage instagram account to have a first glimpse at it!

Audi S1 SportBack Quattro

Audi-S1_Sportback_2015To be honest, I don’t believe in S models when it comes to Audi. For me it is either you buy the chilling A version or the proper, sporty RS. But that S1 was an exception to the rule. As a big fan of hot hatches, it couldn’t go unnoticed. With its 231hp and 272lb-ft squeezed out of a 2.0 Turbocharged 4 cylinder engine, that car, the size of a Ford Fiesta, would burn the 0-100km/h in just 5.8 seconds. It might be a couple of horses short compared to the previously released, limited edition A1 Quattro (256hp and 258lb-ft of torque) but it has more torque making the acceleration more brutal. Unlike the special edition A1, it can be ordered in several brand new Audi colors like that gorgeous Yellow Vegas. It just looks stunning with those new front Xenon headlights and led taillights and have you seen that spoiler and those 4 tail pipes?! With Audi’s Quattro and a manual gear box, that S1 must be a joy to drive. It even has 5 doors so you can take your pals for a hot climb to the mountains or for some drifting on snow.

Audi-S1_Sportback_2015 backPrice wise, with the A1 costing around $40K I would suspect the S1 to have a selling price in Lebanon of around $60K. Is it worth it for a car the size of a matchbox with the engine of a GTI? Even tough they don’t really belong to the same category, I think I would rather pay a bit more and get myself a proper MK7 GolfR (full review available right here) which is more spacious and has 300 ponies awaiting to be whipped.

The Jaguar F-Type R

Ftype CoupeThe long awaited hard top version of the already wonderful F-Type roadster has been finally revealed and it looks stunning. The Coupe is the latest member of Jaguar’s R performance line, that includes the XFR-S and XKR-S. It features the same 5.0-liter, 550-hp and 680Nm of torque supercharged V8. This beauty will burn the 0-100km/h in just 4.0 seconds. The new breed is equipped with hidden rear wing that rises at speeds above 100km/h and stiffer adaptive dynamics suspension that manages the car’s body movements and adjust accordingly. It also has an electronic active differential and a torque vectoring system that further aid the F-Type R’s handling abilities, by controlling the amount of torque sent to each wheel while allowing the inner wheels to brake independently to reduce under-steer.

This F-type R is one, if not the best, looking supercar that has been released this year. It is the perfect balance of  pure elegance, power and eye popping beauty. The roar that comes out of those 4 tail pipes is just plain earporn! Amazing package that thing, great job Jaguar!

VW Commercial: The GTI 7

UPDATED: Had the chance to drive this beauty today (27-03-2014) and I have to say I had a blast! The car feels light, the steering is smooth and precise, and most importantly, the DSG burp is still there 😉 I just can’t get enough of that exhaust “explosion” sound every time you up-shift at around 5000 rpm. In Lebanon the GTI comes as standard equipped with an LSD, a touch screen, parking sensors on the front, back and side to side, and a media plug in to connect your phone. The automatic start and stop option won’t be available on models sold in Lebanon. Yes it has no hand brake but for the first time you can completely disengage the ESP by keeping the button pressed for around 10 seconds. Starting price is around $49K. Ain’t that cheap but, well these are the prices of hot hatches in Lebanon lately! Can’t wait to give the new GolfR a spin! I was told it is going to reach the motherland in mid-July. Will keep you guys posted.

GTI 7 frontAmazingly staggering and peaceful commercial by VW for the official launching of the new GTI 7. The all timer hot hatch is back with its 7th edition that will be revealed at the Geneva motor show in a couple of days. This new breed will be equipped with a revised version of the previous 2.0 turbo charged 4 cylinder engine delivering 220hp (10 more that the  GTI 6) and 258 lb-ft of torque. The six speed manuel and DSG will be offered with a Stop-Start system as standard. This system, saves fuel and trims exhaust emissions by cutting the engine when the vehicle is at a complete stop. This makes the Golf 7 GTI 18 percent more fuel efficient than the outgoing model. This new Golf GTI has lost around a 100kg over its older brother and has firmer suspension. A sport package will be available. It brings with it 10 extra ponies, a torque-sensing limited-slip front differential and up-sized brakes all around.

GTI 7 interiorFront wheel drifting is most easily done and has always been done by applying the hand break: The hand break locks the rear wheels and the car goes sideways. By checking the video below you will see that the rear wheels are not locked when the car is going sideways meaning no hand break was applied. Guess why! Because there is no proper hand break in this new GTI!! There is a stupid and small (P) button like the one you find in the new Tiguan, an electronic hand break. Moreover, I hate the fact that the Stop-Start system cuts the engine automatically when the car is in a complete stop. Imagine being in a traffic in Beirut and your GTI going on and off every time every 2 minutes. Hope the car can be ordered without that option.

GTI 7 back

Other than that, the car does look good in pictures so far. Rolling at night like in the commercial, the car looks very classy. I suspect that it will look even more impressive live. The interior looks very clean, clear, luxurious and useful. You feel like everything is where it is suppose to be. No clocks or random stuff hanging around. The steering wheel is a bit weird but I like it. Driving wise, I suspect the new GTI 7 to be a wonderful car. I own the fifth generation GTI and I love it even more every day. Rendez vous in a couple of days in Geneva!!

Mercedes Commercial: The A45 AMG

Mercedes-Benz-A45_AMG_2014

Mercedes-Benz-A45_AMG_2014 back

Mercedes finally revealed the AMG version of their small A class hatchback model. What they came up with is the most powerful series production four-cylinder turbo engine in the world. Its output? 360hp and 450Nm of torque!! YES 360HP!! A 4 matic all wheel drive will make sure to transfer that power safely to the road through a 7 speed dual clutch gear box. Being an AMG car, its engine is hand built following the AMG philosophy of “one man one engine”. The beasts exhaust system is fitted with an exhaust flap that provides a striking engine sound when the throttle is open and during gear shifting. This flap makes sure that the exhaust is silent during normal, calm driving sessions and shouting out loud during more sporty and aggressive sessions.

Mercedes-Benz-A45_AMG_2014 interiorThe look of the car is unfashionable, it is simple and sexy from the outside and damn does it look luxurious on the inside! With this model Mercedes has jumped at the head of the hot hatch category, a market in which they were totally absent. The super expensive RS3 with its 2.5 liters turbocharged V5 delivering around 340 hp looks ridiculous compared to this new Merc. Even though I wasn’t a big fan of Mercedes Benz, I am really considering  buying this new model in the coming years. Being a hot hatch enthusiast, the RS3 was high ranked in my list of favorite cars, it has now been outrun by this outstanding A45 AMG. The AMG team, I salute you. To hear this beast farting, you can check its first track test by clicking here.

Red Bull Commercial: The Athlete Machine

red bull driftRedbull gathered 11 of its top athletes to create this amazing 6:00 minutes video. A pure pleasure! In this small video Redbull is showing us the range and the variety of sports that it sponsors. The idea of linking all these different disciplines together is brilliant. Enough said, enjoy the show!!

Mercedes Commercial: The SLS AMG Black Series

After launching the SLS AMG 45th Anniversary edition a couple of weeks a go, Benz are  announcing the SLS we were all waiting for, the Black Series edition. Eight month after the C63 Black edition, an SLS was a must. This new version of the famous SLS is not only road friendlier but also faster and lighter than the SLS GT. Does it have a screaming, shouting, ear fu**ing V8 combined with a whooping exhaust? Most probably. But this time the famous 6.2 V8 has been squeezed and now delivers 622hp and 634 lb-ft. The weight saving has been achieved thanks to the installation of light weight ceramic brakes, and lots of CRFP (Carbon fiber reinforced polymers) made parts here and there. The end result is a Black Edition 70kgs lighter than the previous SLS GT. I really like the fact that this Benz includes a lot of features from the 45th anniversary edition while being a derivable comfortable car that you can take on a spin around the track on Sundays. The Solar Beam paint is very similar to the Electric Yellow of the MINI models. I really liked the color but I think that, as all Black Edition models, this SLS should definitively be featured in white. The ad by itself is nothing special, the intention of Mercedes was just to show there new creation to the world; just show it not listen to it.